Re:Developers join call for GitHub to cancel its ICE contract
by andonisus on Wednesday December 04, 2019 @01:25PM
(#21705238)
Github's software is apolitical. This is not up for debate. Source code hosting is not a political thing.
Re:Developers join call for GitHub to cancel its ICE contract
by claudiawerner on Wednesday December 04, 2019 @01:29PM
(#21705282)
It only seems to be "not up for debate" because you say so. The product does not have any particular political goal, of course. But the choice of who it is sold to, for what purpose, and what price, absolutely is. My argument is that Github should use its right to "vote with its wallet" - since this is the only way to control outcomes in the economic sphere without the state - because in this case, the state is the objectionable party.
Re:Developers join call for GitHub to cancel its ICE contract
by hnlurker on Wednesday December 04, 2019 @01:51PM
(#21705570)
All the ICE workers wear pants, we should organize and boycott all manufacturers of pants. Where does it end under your rules? Seriously, how about food? Farmers need to unite!
It is immeditately political the moment you sell your product to people working along politically charged lines, for political ends. It is no different (speaking of being political or apolitical, that is) to US companies selling software to the Chinese state. You have posited that technology is neutral without anything to back that up, and in opposition to the current scholarship on the intersection beween technology and politics[0].
[0] https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/portal/files/615442/gui...